Bringing a twist to one of the iconic Charles Dickens characters, the Artful Dodger, from his classic novel, Oliver Twist, creators James McNamara, David Maher, and David Taylor have brought to fans a brand new series titled The Artful Dodger.
Currently airing on Disney+, the show has been directed by Jeffery Walker, Corrie Chen, and Gracie Otto. The show has been made as a sequel and has some of the most popular characters from the novel that first came out in 1838.
Actor Thomas Brodie Sangster has been cast in the leading role of the Artful Dodger, also otherwise known as Jack Dawkins, along with David Thewlis as Fagin, Maia Mitchell as Lady Belle Fox, Damon Herriman as Captain Lucien Gaines, along with recurring roles of Miranda Tapsell, Huw Higginson, Susie Porter, and so many more.
Set in the 1850s somewhere in Australia, a former navy surgeon named Jack Dawkins has managed to settle down as the town’s skilled surgeon. While the man appears respectable on the front, he has a past that he would rather people not know.
But with the entry of a bunch of ex-convicts on the same land as him, Dawkins faces trouble in hiding his shameful past when he was famous in London for being a thief, known as the Artful Dodger, a pick-pocket. With a growing romance with the governor’s daughter and one of the ex-convicts named Fagin threatening to reveal his identity, Dawkins is forced to live two lives for the time being.
With his past interfering with his present, we wonder if Jack will be able to flip over a new page and start a new, clean life. The show is chaotic and has an untamed energy to it. Brodie-Sangster is a treat to watch when playing his characters, and overall, the series has managed to leave fans impressed.
The making of the show was confirmed in 2022, and fans have been eagerly anticipating the release of its episodes. The show is being well-received by its audience, and while we are sure you must be curious about the series, make sure you read till the end to find out more about where it was filmed.
Filming Locations
The plot of the show is set in Australia, and the crew, at the command of the story, flew to the country with their equipment to get the shots right. The entire show is, for the most part, shot in Sydney, New South Wales. With much-needed support from the state government, the crew was able to kickstart the filming process for The Artful Dodger sometime in November 2022.
The final filming was wrapped in March 2023, after a span of almost five months. A significant part of the show was filmed in New South Wales, and records from the locals around have confirmed that the crew was, in fact, spotted near locations like the suburb of Rookwood.
The place has one of the largest cemeteries in the Southern Hemisphere, called the Rookwood Cemetery, near 1 Hawthorne Avenue. Another confirmed location of the filming crew of the show is located just west of Central Sydney, in the Parramatta suburbs, at a warehouse studio.
Actress Maia Mitchell recalled her experience at the warehouse studio when the cast was made to wear layers upon layers of period outfits, which became a constant reminder of the ever-rising summer temperatures. Be it the warehouse studio or at Rookwood, the showmakers sure managed to capture the 1800s vibes just right.
Though the cast complained about the hot summer in Australia, they also talked about how the discomfort of the clothes was translated into emotions on camera. The show has been garnering positive reviews from fans, but despite the attention, not a lot has been revealed about the specific locations where the series was filmed.
The makers have managed to bring to life the portrayal of the 1800s era, be it through a wardrobe or the backdrop, so make sure you catch the show if dark historical comedy is your genre.
